Small Change: Rawhide to leathermen

30 October 2014 - 02:00 By Siphiliselwe Makhanya
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Max Pienaar should bottle the air around his Durban shop and flog it to the inlanders.

Sea-crisp, java-rich and leathery, the scent of Savior Brand Co is an unexpected extra.

Pienaar deals in "fine handmade leather goods" - wallets, handbags and covers for smart devices - at his combined coffee bar, leather goods workshop and store. He also deals in hope, love and faith - and has an anchor, heart and cross tattoo on his arm to remind himself of that.

Sold at saviorbrandco.co.za, the products have attracted local and international buyers

What sets Savior Brand Co apart from others in the bespoke goods trade is that it began as an initiative to turn vulnerable youths into self-sufficient craftspeople.

Pienaar had what he calls a "Genesis moment" in 2008 when he was coaching kids' soccer. His team played against a group of youngsters from a Durban children's home.

"It was a story of one team with kits and everything they needed, while the other team had nothing," he says. "What got me was the absolute joy that radiated from these kids as they played with the others."

He began a relationship with the home and spotted an opportunity to help shape the lives of the young adults who had outgrown the care system. With a 25-year background managing brands such as Reebok, Pienaar began helping any youngster over the age of 18 who showed a willingness to learn.

"We wanted people to come into an environment where they could learn a skill set and earn a living with dignity."

In the beginning, the aim was to create products that were relatively easy to make but required finesse. After starting out using denim it soon became apparent that quality was an issue, so they moved to a more premium product, leather.

The team are as uncompromising about the inherent aesthetic value of the products as they are about creating social change. "We don't want a sympathy purchase," Pienaar says flatly. "I say to my team all the time - we can choose to make something really well. Anybody can make a product, but not everyone can make a beautiful product."

Crafting products takes time for someone who describes himself as "anal" - there were more than 20 prototypes for the "Jozi" wallet alone.

''It's all about the detail," he says. ''What we do is design a wallet or a bag and then use it for a couple of weeks. We try it out ourselves and if we don't like it, why should you?"

Leatherworker and business partner Sihle Gxashi, 22, was a schoolboy trying to jumpstart his design career when he met Pienaar, his neighbour.

Gxashi jokes that he "interned" with his mentor during visits to Pienaar's home. He would be given pieces of leather and tools to play with and was challenged to master a particular skill by his next visit. Now Gxashi has taught three other young people the same way.

"An average bag will probably take about four to five hours. It depends on the size of the bag. Stitching may be by hand or by machine - either way, they both require care and experience.

"It requires a lot of patience, a lot of attention. And you really have to love what you're doing."

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